The Friday evening, “Cotton Bowl” between Arkansas and Kansas State seemed thoroughly entertaining to me. As a Southerner, I was pulling for The Hogs and was glad to see them get the W. I thought the FOX coverage guys did a good job and we (my husband and I) remarked that it was a welcome change from the CBS duo that we’ve endured for yet another season. I realize some of you might really enjoy the Danielson/”Vern” coverage, so I apologize if I offend. Truthfully, it’s not just them that I mind…it’s the graphics they have up between plays that obscure the view of the actual plays and the fact that they replay the previous plays so often that we miss the real-time action. Enough. I did like the game, the stadium, the coverage and the graphics via FOX and, the score turned out to my liking as well.
There was a lot of drama in the game despite the rather lop-sided 29 to 16 score. Two Kansas State players collided and one was immobilized by the medical staff and removed via stretcher from the field. Very thankfully, he was okay and had no severe injuries. Moments like that during a game really call to mind how very brutal the play is and how quickly the focus can go to the more important things in Life.
On the sidelines, we observed Petrino and the “Anti-Petrino”. No two coaches have ever appeared more polar opposite to me. Bill Snyder, with his serene and grandfatherly demeanor was poised, pleasant and positive as he stood calmly directing his team. He just looks like the “kindliest of gentlemen”. He came onto the field each time one of his players was “shaken up”; holding an arm, speaking a word of encouragement, kneeling to comfort the young player. I never saw him raise his voice (or his arms) and he appeared thoroughly composed and assured throughout. Bobby Petrino, on the other hand, showed a fiery, petulant, explosive temperment with lips bearing easy-to-read explotives as he looked likely to explode, himself. His team was winning, by the way. Petrino is a good coach, and I recognize the great strides he has made at Arkansas. I’m just saying…wow, they were so different!
I wanted to address an odd situation that occurred when Kansas State blocked an extra point attempt (Point After Touchdown-PAT) by Arkansas. We rarely see this happen, so its not a “rule” that I list in “Let’s Kick it Off, Ladies”. When an extra point attempt (kick) is blocked by the defensive team and recovered by a defensive player, the player may advance the ball toward the opposite end of the field as long as the player is not ruled “down”.
We saw this strange event unfold during this game! When Arkansas’ PAT was blocked, the defense scooped the ball up off the ground and ran for the opposite END ZONE, pursued by only a few stunned Arkansas players who didn’t catch him. The ball carrier was awarded 2 points for his team, the points associated with a Safety. Just as with any Safety, insult is added to injury when the next kick off goes right back to the team receiving the 2 points. To be honest, I don’t think I have ever seen this happen while watching a game. Interesting, huh?
We are coming down to the wire here, folks. Monday night, January 9th will bring another SEC BCS National Champion. Will it be Alabama or LSU? New Orleans is the site and the Super Dome is the locale. Don’t forget to watch!
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